power steering - will it cause an alarm

Just spoke to our shop. One of the guys mentioned that the IAC muffler can cause a similar situation. He had a few boats that were running fine and no idle issues that alarmed this same way. The replaced the muffler itself (inside the intake throat) and problem gone.

I just added that to the list of things to try.
 
It is not the drive fluid level. That alarm beeps every two seconds. I am quite sure that you just have to change your IAC-valve. To make sure about which engine that causes the problem, you can disconnect one of the alarms to see if it stops. If I am correct about the IAC, the other one will probably need to be changed within a few months anyway, so I would have changed them both. The cost is about 100 USD each and is an easy thing to do yourself.

I had the same problem with a boat of the same age a few years ago.

Good luck!

Thomas
 
Thomas, thanks - did your boat idle normally even though the IAC needed changing? Both of mine idle/run perfectly (that I can tell).
 
Well, there's a sticking point - I do NOT have a smartcraft. All analog guages and indicators.
 
When my first engine started to alarm, the idling was just perfect. When the other one failed a short time after, the engine died on idling. I had smartcraft and am not sure about if that alarm is different if you don´t?

Maybe a stupid question, but just to be sure. You have the fuel injected engines, right? Otherwise you don´t have any IAC to change... Talk to your spare parts dealer and see if you can return them if that doesn´t turn out to be the problem. The change is just 4 screws and 10 minutes of your time.
 
Alarm update for Friday - Maybe good, maybe not...

Well FRUSTRATED is the best way to start it! BUT there's hopefully some progress. Forgive the long read....

I did change the IAC mufflers. They were black, the new ones white (next time I ain't paying for whatever that stuff is. Furnace filter will work). I looked at a new IAC and compared it to what was on my starboard engine. Electrically speaking (VOM involved) new and existing one was the same. BTW, I confirmed that my drive bottles were alarming correctly by setting up a VOM inline with the wires and pushed the float down - the circuit shorted and the alarm went of as expected and reset the same.

A mech who was working on the boat next to mine said that the alarm was not the drive bottle, OR the IAC and my boat isn't showing symptoms of a bad IAC. So, I returned it. I will say that my manual says that the intermittent alarm IS the bottle but when I would push the float down it would do a "beep, beep, beep, beep" consistently. The beep I'm getting is "beep, beep" pause one minute, repeat. Forever, and ever, and EVER AND EVER!!! (ok, sorry) :)

I went out after all that and you bet ya, got the alarm. Just to make sure my guages were showing the truth I gave my wife the wheel and I started shooting temps with the laser. Everything was the same on both engines, and temps were close to what the guages were showing (in the upper 160s, lower 170s) for coolant. So, even though it's a crude way of doing it things look with in reason from that point of view.

I got the alarm to stop by shutting down restarting and running around at about 6knots. Out of frustration we decided to go in and when we went up on plane - the alarm appeared and my wife put the throwable around my neck because I was ready to jump.

Enough of what you already know - I DID FIND THIS.

The Admiral went over to a friends boat for some "beverages" which gave me some time to dig under the dash. I located the alarms (actually electrical horns) and there are 3 physical under the dash. I located the starboard side by shutting down during the alarm, and then just hitting the start button to get that gawd-awful sound. Found it. Disconnected it - confirmed that was the one...

Traced the wires - there's a purple wire that appears to go to a round black electrical "thing" that's just lagged to the fiberglass bulkhead to the right of the sliding door stop. This "thing" has about 8-10 (maybe less) threaded terminals on it. There could be less because it was hard to see. It is located behind the starboard tach area and attached with two screws.

In tracing the magic purple wire I found that the terminal that it's lug was attached to was SUPER loose. As in jiggle the wire and see it wiggle like jello loose! In poking around I found about 4 of those wires loose! I tightened them down but could not go out to test my theory because of storms that kicked up. I won't be out until Sunday due to kids softball tomorrow.

Does ANYONE know what that thing is and COULD IT (oh please oh please) be what is causing my issue when I go to higher RPM??

Thanks - Desperately Seeking Silence
 
IME, it's either IAC mufflers, or the IAC valves. sometimes I would have idle issues, but MOST of the time I would have zero wrong with performance, just the alarm. You do have smart craft engines, just not gauges. So no you know which engine is setting the alarm, the quick fix is to have a tech come to the boat and hook up the merc computer to see what is throwing the alarm.

Again, when I would throttle up and the 2 beep alarm would go off, it was the mufflers.
 
Ok, how about this to further isolate. Could I swap IACs? I have spare gaskets. IF the problem follows the IAC, it's.... the IAC? I'm not opposed to having them put the computers on but the first time around (with the diag computers on) showed no issues.
 
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Is it round and plastic? If so it could be your engine synchronizer module that drives the gauge. You do not say if the alarm only goes off above a certain RPM. My knock sensor was not connected and the engine alarmed beep..... beep....above 2800 RPM.
 
Well, i have not gradually throttled up to determine exactly when the alarm start to blast. I do know that I'm about 1800 RPM or so initially for about a mile and it is fine. When I go to plane I push it to about 3300 RPM and when in about a minute it begins to sound in that B,B Pause 1min, B, B, etc.

I'm starting to have doubts about NOT replacing the IAC today based on what I've heard and read.

Yes, it is round and plastic.

BTW, what's a knock sensor?
 
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If you're getting a 2 beep, then it's going to show up on the computer, unless maybe it's one of those loose wires that you found.
 
Another not-so-dramatic update...

here is a link to what i think is your 5.0 engine.
Click to expand...

You guys have spidey type search senses! :) I'm not sure if that's one that I'm dealing with or not but I'm going to definitely keep it in the list of things to put a VOM on...

So today I went up and my shop guy was kind enough to put the IAC and gasket on the boat in case I needed it. The wind was just howling today though. I did tighten up all the loose wires on the puck "thing". I think it's the sync module as mentioned but, a loose wire is not a good wire. Probably not related to my situation but what the hay.

I took contact cleaner to the IAC connector and flushed it out. I then started the starboard engine and let it warm up. Once up to temp I increased RPM to what I typically plane at - ~3,100-3,300 RPM WHILE IN NEUTRAL. I did not get an alarm. I did the same on the port-side with same results. I do realize this is not a true "like for like" test but with the wind I couldn't risk the hassle getting back in. I also did not do this in the past to generate an alarm. Unless there is something drive/transmission that needs the "motion of the ocean" I'm not sure what I'm dealing with.

Once I get back on the water I'll post. I am prepared to swap IACs to see if the problem follows the IAC. Next will be to hand her over I guess...

Could this problem clear once power is removed? In other words, will this problem not show up on the computers unless it's happening real-time? Stuff I deal with at work is like this (troubleshot a fiber optics laser issue for 1 year until the stars aligned). I just don't know how these beasts log what they see.
 
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Weekend update

I spent time digging around unplugging stuff and wasn't having a lot of luck. I finally gave up Saturday, crashed on the boat this weekend and on Sunday started looking again.

I finally found what I think is the water pressure sensor. With the motor keys on and buttons in the run position (not running) I unplugged the sensor and DID get the 2 beep, one minute pause alarm.

From there I reached in the back and was about to put a socket to the sensor when I noticed that it was already loose. I could unscrew the sensor by hand.

I pulled it out and cleaned things up. It didn't look bad.

I put it back in and tightened it down. I didn't go crazy on how tight but it was definitely tighter then what it was.

So, could the fact that it was loose be causing the ECM to get a false pressure reading when I went up on plane??

I didn't get to go out because a bad storm was rolling in.

Thoughts on that theory??

(BTW, both IACs are fine. I swapped them around and the alarm stayed wtih the staboard engine).

Here is a picture of the sensor I found:
sensor2.jpg


sensor1.jpg
 
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That's a good read and thanks for pointing it out. I couldn't figure out how to test it with a VOM but like you said with it as loose as it was I'm sure ground was a question. I can also see how a bad impeller will cause bubbles and a bad reading.

It looks like there was some RTV type sealant on the threads that could've contributued to the lack of ground in conjunction with being loose.

One more thing - I usually vacuum out my blige because I've been chasing this phantom leak. I am now suspicious that part of this is related to water leaking past the threads. It's never a lot, but about a 1/2 cup or more down in the far back.

Why does the weekend have to be so far away!?!?! I need a seatrial now! :)
 
Weekend Alarm Update and computer update

:huh:

After tightening everything and going out I got the same alarm. Again all vital signs showed well (oil, temp, etc).

I asked the service department to put the computers on the engines. Again nothing stood out. They pulled history and could see where I was unplugging/plugging stuff while troubleshooting due to the very recent hours and with things that didn't have any relavence (shift interrupters, etc). I did unplug them and reconnect "just because" it made me feel better :)

Last night prior to hooking up the computers I swapped the WPS.

TODAY
We started the starboard engine (the one with the alarm) while the computer was attached and everything looked normal (including alarm history). We kept water pressue in mind and noted that while in idle. We were registering about 1.6 - 1.7 PSI at idle. When I throttled up in neutral to about 1500 RPM we registered approx 7 PSI. The guy at the computer wasn't alarmed, but the other guy (another mechanic) that was there said it was a bad impeller. I don't know what to think.

We put the computer on the port engine that now has the starboard sensor and it registered a little lower while running in the same RPM range. History showed it was a little lower (after swapping WPS). Nothing flagged and the pressure also jumped up to about 7 PSI in approximately the same 1500 RPM range.

The decision was to take it out and run it with the sensors now swapped. We did and the boat DID NOT ALARM. I was running around 3200 RPM on plane for about 30 minutes. No alarm. We came off plane, turned back and throttled up to about 3100 RPM - ALARM. I came off plane and completely shut down. Waited and came back up and no alarm.

The mech asked me to note the time (225.6hrs) of the alarm so he can check the history.

I've read the issue of the water pick pick up hose being crushed but was told that would be a consistent overheat. I do not have that on the guages, nor did the guardian kick in.

I figure if I had a bad raw water pump I'd also experience a consistent overheat - which I never have. I am considering changing the impellers myself because it doesn't look that bad and the boat is an '03.

Do those PSI readings seem low for the ranges of engine speed? If I don't have to change them I'm ok with not doing so!

Would coming up on plane "gradually" make a difference compared to just hammering it?

I'm VERY open for suggestons at this poing and will do my best to keep the board posted! I want this done!
 
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